Anthony's Story | Connecticut Children's

Dr. Gillan: Anthony came to us with relapsed brain tumor, and he’d been through radiation three times. We put him on a new protocol, metronomic therapy, that doesn’t really attack the tumor per se but attacks the blood vessels that are feeding the tumor. He’s been on that for over a year and he’s doing extremely well on that, so it’s a real home run for all of us, plus he gets to stay at Connecticut Children’s and get all of his treatment here.

Jennifer, Anthony’s mom: Anthony first got diagnosed in 2011 and he got diagnosed with ependymoma, which is a brain tumor. He started off it was like flu symptoms, where he was throwing up and not feeling well. I actually brought him in because I thought he was dehydrated because he had thrown up so much that day, and then the light started bothering him that night a lot, so I called the doctor’s attention down in the ER. They had him get a CAT scan there, and that’s when they saw there was a mass.
Anthony: When I was really young, about 5, I used to get constant headaches. It was actually from a brain tumor.
Dr. Gillan: I think our family-centered care here is superb. It is one of the best in the nation. I think we’re a leader in the nation in family-centered care. We sit down with each and every patient and family and we go through the diagnosis, the prognosis, and the treatment options letting the family help to make those decisions.
Jennifer, Anthony’s mom: Great relationship with Dr. Martin, which is his surgeon, and Dr. Gillan. They do great with him, and I like the way they stay on top of his case. The care they do for him is amazing.
Anthony: They’re doing their best, they’re doing everything they could to help keep it away. Honestly, everything the doctors do and the way they make you feel, when you first come in you think you’ll feel all down and everything, but they really make you feel like you’re the happiest person alive. I love this place. I love Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
Who are we? We’re Team Anthony. What do we want? The cure!